Chapter 77

TURNIPS MASHED. Pare and boil them quite tender, squeeze them as dry as possible between two trenchers, put them into a stewpan, and mash them with a wooden spoon. Then rub them through a cullender, add a little bit of butter, keep stirring them till the butter is melted and well mixed with them, and they are ready for the table.

TURNIP BUTTER. In the fall of the year, butter is apt to acquire a strong and disagreeable flavour, from the cattle feeding on turnips, cabbages, leaves of trees, and other vegetable substances. To correct the offensive taste which this produces, boil two ounces of saltpetre in a quart of water, and put two or more spoonfuls of it into a pail before milking, according to the quantity of milk. If this be done constantly, the evil will be effectually cured: if not, it will be owing to the neglect of the dairy maid.

TURNIP FLY. To prevent the black fly from injuring the turnip crop, mix an ounce of sulphur daily with three pounds of turnip seed for three days successively, and keep it closely covered in an earthen pan. Stir it well each time, that the seed may be duly impregnated with the sulphur. Sow it as usual on an acre of ground, and the fly will not attack it till after the third or fourth leaf be formed, when the plant will be entirely out of danger. If garden vegetables be attacked by the fly, water them freely with a decoction of elder leaves.

TURNIP PIE. Season some mutton chops with salt and pepper, reserving the ends of the neck bones to lay over the turnips, which must be cut into small dice, and put on the steaks. Add two or three spoonfuls of milk, also a sliced onion if approved, and cover with a crust.

TURNIP SAUCE. Pare half a dozen turnips, boil them in a little water, keep them shaking till they are done, and the liquor quite exhausted, and then rub them through a tammis. Take a little white gravy and cut more turnips, as if intended for harrico. Shake them as before, and add a little more white gravy.

TURNIP SOUP. Take from a knuckle of veal all the meat that can be made into cutlets, and stew the remainder in five pints of water, with an onion, a bundle of herbs, and a blade of mace. Cover it close, and let it do on a slow fire, four or five hours at least. Strain it, and set it by till the next day. Then take the fat and sediment from it, and simmer it with turnips cut into small dice till tender, seasoning it with salt and pepper. Before serving, rub down half a spoonful of flour with half a pint of good cream, and a piece of butter the size of a walnut. Let a small roll simmer in the soup till fully moistened, and serve this with it. The soup should be as thick as middling cream.

TURNIP TOPS. These are the shoots which come out in the spring from the old turnip roots, and are to be dressed in the same way as cabbage sprouts. They make very nice sweet greens, and are esteemed great purifiers of the blood and juices.

TURNPIKES. Mix together a quarter of a pound each of flour, butter, currants, and lump sugar powdered. Beat up four eggs with two of the whites, make the whole into a stiff paste, with the addition of a little lemon peel. Roll the paste out thin, and cut it into shapes with a wine glass. The addition of a few carraway seeds will be an improvement.

TURTLE. The morning that you intend to dress the turtle, fill a boiler or kettle with a quantity of water sufficient to scald the callapach and callapee, the fins, &c. and about nine o'clock hang up your turtle by the hind fins, cut off its head, and save the blood; then with a sharp pointed knife separate the callapach from the callapee (or the back from the belly part) down to the shoulders, so as to come at the entrails, which take out, and clean them, as you would those of any other animal, and throw them into a tub of clean water, taking great care not to break the gall, but cut it off the liver, and throw it away. Then separate each distinctly, and take the guts into another vessel, open them with a small penknife, from end to end, wash them clean, and draw them through a woollen cloth in warm water, to clear away the slime, and then put them into clean cold water till they are used, with the other part of the entrails, which must all be cut up small to be mixed in the baking dishes with the meat. This done, separate the back and belly pieces entirely, cutting away the four fins by the upper joint, which scald, peel off the loose skin, and cut them into small pieces, laying them by themselves, either in another vessel, or on the table, ready to be seasoned. Then cut off the meat from the belly part, and clean the back from the lungs, kidneys, &c. and that meat cut into pieces as small as a walnut, laying it likewise by itself. After this you are to scald the back and belly pieces, pulling off the shell from the back and the yellow skin from the belly; when all will be white and clean, and with the kitchen cleaver cut those up likewise into pieces about the bigness or breadth of a card. Put those pieces into clean cold water, wash them out, and place them in a heap on the table, so that each part may lie by itself. The meat, being thus prepared and laid separately for seasoning, mix two third parts of salt, or rather more, and one third part of Cayenne pepper, black pepper, and a spoonful of nutmeg and mace pounded fine, and mixed together; the quantity to be proportioned to the size of the turtle, so that in each dish there may be about three spoonfuls of seasoning to every twelve pounds of meat. Your meat being thus seasoned, get some sweet herbs, such as thyme, savoury, &c. let them be dried and rubbed fine, and having provided some deep dishes to bake it in, (which should be of the common brown ware) put in the coarsest parts of the meat at the bottom, with about a quarter of a pound of butter in each dish, and then some of each of the several parcels of meat, so that the dishes may be all alike, and have equal portions of the different parts of the turtle; and between each laying of the meat, strew a little of this mixture of sweet herbs. Fill your dishes within an inch and an half, or two inches of the top; boil the blood of the turtle, and put into it; then lay on forcemeat balls made of veal, or fowl, highly seasoned with the same seasoning as the turtle; put into each dish a gill of good Madeira wine, and as much water as it will conveniently hold; then break over it five or six eggs, to keep the meat from scorching at the top, and over that shake a small handful of shred parsley, to make it look green; which done, put your dishes into an oven made hot enough to bake bread, and in an hour and half, or two hours, (according to the size of the dishes) it will be sufficiently done. Send it to the table in the dishes in which it is baked, in order to keep it warm while it is eating.

TURTLE FINS. Put into a stewpan five large spoonfuls of brown sauce, with a bottle of port wine, and a quart of mushrooms. When the sauce boils, put in four fins; and after taking away all the small bones that are seen breaking through the skin, add a few sprigs of parsley, a bit of thyme, one bay leaf, and four cloves, and let it simmer one hour. Ten minutes before it is done, put in five dozen of button onions ready peeled, and see that it is properly salted.

TURTLE SOUP. The best sized turtle is one from sixty to eighty pounds weight, which will make six or eight tureens of fine soup. Kill the turtle the evening before; tie a cord to the hind fins, and hang it up with the head downwards. Tie the fore fins by way of pinioning them, otherwise it would beat itself, and be troublesome to the executioner. Hold the head in the left hand, and with a sharp knife cut off the neck as near the head as possible. Lay the turtle on a block on the back shell, slip the knife between the breast and the edge of the back shell; and when the knife has been round, and the breast is detached from the back, pass the fingers underneath, and detach the breast from the fins, always keeping the edge of the knife on the side of the breast; otherwise if the gall be broken, the turtle will be spoiled. Cut the breast into four pieces, remove the entrails, beginning by the liver, and cut away the gall, to be out of danger at once. When the turtle is emptied, throw the heart, liver, kidneys, and lights, into a large tub of water. Cut away the fins to the root, as near to the back shell as possible; then cut the fins in the second joint, that the white meat may be separated from the green. Scrape the fat from the back shell by skimming it, and put it aside. Cut the back shell into four pieces. Set a large turbot pan on the fire, and when it boils dip a fin into it for a minute, then take it out and peel it very clean. When that is done, take another, and so on till all are done; then the head, next the shell and breast, piece by piece. Be careful to have the peel and shell entirely cleaned off, then put in the same pan some clean water, with the breast and back, the four fins, and the head. Let it boil till the bones will leave the meat, adding a large bundle of turtle herbs, four bay leaves, and some thyme. If two dishes are to be made of the fins, they must be removed when they have boiled one hour. Put into a small stewpan the liver, lights, heart, and kidneys, and the fat that was laid aside. Take some of the liquor that the other part was boiled in, cover the stewpan close, and let it boil gently for three hours. Clean the bones, breast, and back from the green fat, and cut it into pieces an inch long, and half an inch wide, but suffer none of it to be wasted. Put all these pieces on a dish, and set it by till the broth is ready. To prepare the broth, put on a large stockpot, and line the bottom of it with a pound and a half of lean ham, cut into slices. Cut into pieces a large leg of veal, except a pound of the fillet to be reserved for forcemeat; put the rest upon the ham, with all the white meat of the turtle, and a couple of old fowls. Put it on a smart fire, with two ladlefuls of rich broth, and reduce it to a glaze. When it begins to stick to the bottom, pour the liquor in which the turtle was boiled into the pot where the other part of the turtle has been boiled. Add to it a little more sweet herbs, twenty-four grains of allspice, six blades of mace, two large onions, four carrots, half an ounce of whole pepper, and some salt. Let it simmer for four hours, and then strain the broth through a cloth sieve. Put into it the green part of the turtle that has been cut in pieces and nicely cleaned, with two bottles of Madeira. When it has boiled a few minutes with the turtle, add the broth to it. Melt half a pound of butter in a stewpan, add four large spoonfuls of flour, stir it on the fire till of a fine brown colour, and pour some of the broth to it. Mix it well, and strain it through a hair sieve into the soup. Cut the liver, lights, heart, kidneys, and fat into small square pieces, and put them into the soup with half a tea-spoonful of cayenne, two of curry powder, and four table-spoonfuls of the essence of anchovies. Let it boil an hour and a half, carefully skimming off the fat. Pound the reserved veal in a marble mortar for the forcemeat, and rub it through a hair sieve, with as much of the udder as there is of meat from the leg of veal. Put some bread crumbs into a stewpan with milk enough to moisten it, adding a little chopped parsley and shalot. Dry it on the fire, rub it through a wire sieve, and when cold mix it all together, that every part may be equally blended. Boil six eggs hard, take the yolks and pound them with the other ingredients; season it with salt, cayenne, and a little curry powder. Add three raw eggs, mix all well together, and make the forcemeat into small balls the size of a pigeon's egg. Ten minutes before the soup is ready put in the forcemeat balls, and continue to skim the soup till it is taken off the fire. If the turtle weighs eighty pounds, it will require nearly three bottles of Madeira for the soup. When the turtle is dished, squeeze two lemons into each tureen. It is also very good with eggs boiled hard, and a dozen of the yolks put in each tureen. This is a highly fashionable soup, and such as is made in the royal kitchen; but it is difficult of digestion, and fit only for those who 'live to eat.' Foreigners in general are extremely fond of it; and at the Spanish dinner in 1808, eight hundred guests attended, and two thousand five hundred pounds weight of turtle were consumed.

TUSK. Lay the tusk in water the first thing in the morning; after it has lain three or four hours, scale and clean it very well; then shift the water, and let it lie till you want to dress it. If it is large, cut it down the back, and then across; if small, only down the back; put it into cold water, and let it boil gently for about twenty minutes. Send it to table in a napkin, with egg sauce, butter and mustard, and parsnips cut in slices, in a plate.

TWOPENNY. The malt beverage thus denominated, is not formed to keep, and therefore not likely to be brewed by any persons for their own consumption. The following proportions for one barrel, are inserted merely to add to general information in the art of brewing.

£ _s._ _d._ Malt, a bushel and a half 0 9 0 Hops, one pound 0 1 6 Liquorice root, a pound and a half 0 1 6 Capsicum, a quarter of an ounce 0 0 1 Spanish liquorice, 2 ounces 0 0 2 Treacle, five pounds 0 1 8 ---------- 0 13 11 ----------

£ _s._ _d._ One barrel of twopenny, paid for at the publican's, 128 quarts, at _4d._ per quart 2 2 8 Brewed at home, coals included 0 15 0 ---------- Clear gain, 1 7 8 ----------

It is sufficient to observe respecting this liquor, that it requires no storing, being frequently brewed one week, and consumed the next. The quantity of capsicum in one barrel of twopenny, is as much as is commonly contained in two barrels of porter: this readily accounts for the preference given to it by the working classes, in cold winter mornings. Twopenny works remarkably quick, and must be carefully attended to, in the barrels.

V.

VACCINE INOCULATION. One of the most important discoveries in the history of animal nature is that of the Cow Pox, which was publicly announced by Dr. Jenner in the year 1798, though it had for ages been known by some of the dairymen in the west of England. This malady appears on the nipples of cows in the form of irregular pustules, and it is now ascertained that persons inoculated with the matter taken from them are thereby rendered incapable of the small pox infection. Innumerable experiments have been made in different countries, in Asia and America, with nearly the same success; and by a series of facts duly authenticated, in many thousands of instances, it is fully proved that the vaccine inoculation is a milder and safer disease than the inoculated small pox; and while the one has saved its tens of thousands, the other is going on to save its millions. With a view of extending the beneficial effects of the new inoculation to the poor, a new dispensary, called the Vaccine Institution, has been established in London, where the operation is performed gratis, and the vaccine matter may be had by those who wish to promote this superior method of inoculation. The practice itself is very simple. Nothing more is necessary than making a small puncture in the skin of the arm, and applying the matter. But as it is of great consequence that the matter be good, and not too old, it is recommended to apply for the assistance of those who make it a part of their business, as the expense is very trifling.

VARNISH FOR BOOTS. To render boots and shoes impervious to the wet, take a pint of linseed oil, half a pound of mutton suet, six or eight ounces of bees' wax, and a small piece of rosin. Boil all together in a pipkin, and let it cool to milk warm. Then with a hair brush lay it on new boots or shoes; but it is better still to lay it on the leather before the articles are made. The shoes or boots should also be brushed over with it, after they come from the maker. If old boots or shoes are to be varnished, the mixture is to be laid on when the leather is perfectly dry.

VARNISH FOR BRASS. Put into a pint of alcohol, an ounce of turmeric powder, two drams of arnatto, and two drams of saffron. Agitate the mixture during seven days, and filter it into a clean bottle. Now add three ounces of clean seed-lac, and agitate the bottle every day for fourteen days. When the lacquer is used, the pieces of brass if large are to be first warmed, so as to heat the hand, and the varnish is to be applied with a brush. Smaller pieces may be dipped in the varnish, and then drained by holding them for a minute over the bottle. This varnish, when applied to rails for desks, has a most beautiful appearance, like that of burnished gold.

VARNISH FOR DRAWINGS. Mix together two ounces of spirits of turpentine, and one ounce of Canada balsam. The print is first to be sized with a solution of isinglass water, and dried; the varnish is then to be applied with a camel-hair brush. But for oil paintings, a different composition is prepared. A small piece of white sugar candy is dissolved and mixed with a spoonful of brandy; the whites of eggs are then beaten to a froth, and the clear part is poured off and incorporated with the mixture. The paintings are then brushed over with the varnish, which is easily washed off when they are required to be cleaned again, and on this account it will be far superior to any other kind of varnish for this purpose.

VARNISH FOR FANS. To make a varnish for fans and cases, dissolve two ounces of gum-mastic, eight ounces of gum-sandaric, in a quart of alcohol, and then add four ounces of Venice turpentine.

VARNISH FOR FIGURES. Fuse in a crucible half an ounce of tin, with the same quantity of bismuth. When melted, add half an ounce of mercury; and when perfectly combined, take the mixture from the fire and cool it. This substance, mixed with the white of an egg, forms a very beautiful varnish for plaster figures.

VARNISH FOR FURNITURE. This is made of white wax melted in the oil of petrolium. A light coat of this mixture is laid on the wood with a badger's brush, while a little warm, and the oil will speedily evaporate. A coat of wax will be left behind, which should afterwards be polished with a woollen cloth.

VARNISH FOR HATS. The shell of the hat having been prepared, dyed, and formed in the usual manner, is to be stiffened, when perfectly dry, with the following composition, worked upon the inner surface. One pound of gum kino, eight ounces of gum elemi, three pounds of gum olibanum, three pounds of gum copal, two pounds of gum juniper, one pound of gum ladanum, one pound of gum mastic, ten pounds of shell lac, and eight ounces of frankincense. These are pounded small and mixed together; three gallons of alcohol are then placed in an earthen vessel to receive the pounded gums, and the vessel is then to be frequently agitated. When the gums are sufficiently dissolved by this process, a pint of liquid ammonia is added to the mixture, with an ounce of oil of lavender, and a pound of gum myrrh and gum opoponax, dissolved in three pints of spirit of wine. The whole of the ingredients being perfectly incorporated and free from lumps, constitute the patent water-proof mixture with which the shell of the hat is stiffened. When the shell has been dyed, shaped, and rendered perfectly dry, its inner surface and the under side of the brim are varnished with this composition by means of a brush. The hat is then placed in a warm drying-room until it becomes hard. This process is repeated several times, taking care that the varnish does not penetrate through the shell, so as to appear on the outside. To allow the perspiration of the head to evaporate, small holes are to be pierced through the crown of the hat from the inside outward; and the nap of silk, beaver, or other fur, is to be laid on by the finisher in the usual way. That on the under side of the brim, which has been prepared as above, is to be attached with copal varnish.

VARNISH FOR PAINTINGS. Mix six ounces of pure mastic gum with the same quantity of pounded glass, and introduce the compound into a bottle containing a pint of oil of turpentine. Now add half an ounce of camphor bruised in a mortar. When the mastic is dissolved, put in an ounce of Venice turpentine, and agitate the whole till the turpentine is perfectly dissolved. When the varnish is to be applied to oil paintings, it must be gently poured from the glass sediment, or filtered through a muslin.

VARNISH FOR PALING. A varnish for any kind of coarse wood work is made of tar ground up with Spanish brown, to the consistence of common paint, and then spread on the wood with a large brush as soon as made, to prevent its growing too stiff and hard. The colour may be changed by mixing a little white lead, whiting, or ivory black, with the Spanish brown. For pales and weather boards this varnish is superior to paint, and much cheaper than what is commonly used for that purpose. It is an excellent preventive against wet and weather, and if laid on smooth wood it will have a good gloss.

VARNISH FOR SILKS. To one quart of cold-drawn linseed oil, add half an ounce of litharge. Boil them for half an hour, and then add half an ounce of copal varnish. While the ingredients are heating in a copper vessel, put in one ounce of rosin, and a few drops of neatsfoot oil, stirring the whole together with a knife. When cool, it is ready for use. This varnish will set, or keep its place on the silk in four hours, the silk may then be turned and varnished on the other side.

VARNISH FOR STRAW HATS. For straw or chip hats, put half an ounce of black sealing-wax powdered into two ounces of spirits of wine or turpentine, and place it near the fire till the wax is dissolved. If the hat has lost its colour or turned brown, it may first be brushed over with writing ink, and well dried. The varnish is then to be laid on warm with a soft brush, in the sun or before the fire, and it will give it a new gloss which will resist the wet.

VARNISH FOR TINWARE. Put three ounces of seed-lac, two drams of dragon's blood, and one ounce of turmeric powder, into a pint of well-rectified spirits. Let the whole remain for fourteen days, but during that time, agitate the bottle once a day at least. When properly combined, strain the liquid through a piece of muslin. This varnish is called lacquer; it is brushed over tinware to give it a resemblance to brass.

VARNISH FOR WOOD. The composition which is the best adapted to preserve wood from the decay occasioned both by the wet and the dry rot, is as follows. Melt twelve ounces of rosin in an iron kettle, and when melted, add eight ounces of roll brimstone. When both are in a liquid state, pour in three gallons of train oil. Heat the whole slowly, gradually adding four ounces of bees' wax in small pieces, and keep the mixture stirring. As soon as the solid ingredients are dissolved, add as much Spanish brown, red or yellow ochre, ground fine with some of the oil, as will give the whole a deep shade. Lay on this varnish as hot and thin as possible; and some days after the first coat becomes dry, give a second. This will preserve planks and other wood for ages.